Chapter 67: The Calm Before the Storm
“Guh, kill me, just kill me…” Nagi muttered in her heart.
Now she was sitting face to face with Yukino, hugging her knees.
She was trying to minimize the exposed skin in front of Yukino as much as possible.
Nagi had already loosened her bikini top.
With Yukino’s help, she had managed to put it back on neatly.
If you were to ask how Nagi felt right now.
It was probably like wearing revealing lingerie to greet her husband coming home from work.
As soon as the door opened, she found her respected sister-in-law standing beside him.
Her pure and elegant image crumbled, transforming in her sister-in-law’s eyes into that of a shameless lascivious woman.
Under the sunshade, only Nagi and Yukino remained.
Unlike Nagi, who was wearing a daring bikini.
The petite and adorable Yukino was dressed in a one-piece swimsuit adorned with frills, showcasing her lively and energetic demeanor as a teenage girl.
It looked more like the type of swimsuit a middle school student would wear.
The contrast between the two further accentuated Nagi’s current sultry appearance.
Kanade was freed from the “sunscreen application” task because of Yukino’s intrusion.
He hurriedly excused himself to use the restroom and left.
Nagi envied him greatly.
If she hadn’t taken off the top half of her bikini, she could have made an excuse to leave first.
But she had spent too much time putting the bikini back on.
Now she could only find herself in an awkward situation.
“Sis Nagi, you’re really quite bold~” Yukino was the first to break the silence.
At this, Nagi could only shyly hang her head, speechless.
Having her junior see her shamelessly remove her swimsuit in public and expose her upper body in front of her childhood friend was mortifying.
Even if Nagi wanted to use “naive” and “clueless” as excuses.
Her flushed cheeks, warm ears, and skin tinged with excitement had already betrayed her enjoyment of the situation.
Yukino’s next words were likely—
“Sis Nagi doesn’t want Onii-chan to know the truth that you’re actually a shameless and reserved pervert, right?”
Guh, kill me…
But unexpectedly, Yukino did not press the attack, further enjoying Nagi’s embarrassment.
Instead, she showed a resigned smile:
“I really have to hand it to Sis Nagi, just what is it about my blockhead Onii-chan that you like so much?”
“……Yukino-chan?”
In Yukino’s eyes, if a girl went this far in public.
It was clear she was genuinely worried that Kanade might be taken away by another woman, which is why she resorted to such desperate measures.
It’s no wonder, considering the beautiful girls around Kanade who seemed to have close relationships with him.
It was only natural for this childhood friend to feel anxious.
“Well, I actually think Sis Nagi doesn’t need to be so anxious. My Onii-chan…”
“He’s a gentle big fool… even if Sis Nagi were to, um, seduce him like this… he would definitely restrain himself and wouldn’t act on impulse.”
“S-seduce… I-I didn’t…”
“So, can we give my fool Onii-chan some more time?” Yukino showed a slightly serious expression.
“Although I don’t know what happened that day…”
“But I can understand that Onii-chan actually feels very guilty towards Sis Nagi right now, so it’s hard for him to notice Sis Nagi’s feelings for him…”
“…” At her words, Nagi recalled that day at the aquarium.
Though it was due to the awakening of the end, her actions undoubtedly hurt Kanade.
“However, I believe that one day, he will understand Sis Nagi’s feelings for him… and then respond.”
“Because, my Onii-chan has actually long since—” couldn’t bear to be without you. Yukino didn’t finish the sentence but revealed a hint of loneliness at the corners of her mouth.
“…..Yukino-chan.” Nagi lowered her head, her long bangs casting shadows over her eyes.
As the atmosphere fell back into silence.
Yukino cleared her throat a few times and changed the topic:
“Now let’s hold an introspection meeting for Sis Nagi’s lascivious behavior.”
“P-pervert!?”
“Is it these shamelessly exposed bits that are seducing my Onii-chan!?”
“Ah wait, wait! Yukino-chan!?”
Yukino could no longer maintain her graceful and calm demeanor, displaying an expression of envy and jealousy, as she hugged Nagi tightly.
Nagi hesitated to put on her cover-up since the sunscreen on her back hadn’t dried yet, leaving her only in that bold bikini.
Thus, Yukino’s hands could directly touch Nagi’s smooth and delicate skin, squeezing it with a hint of animosity.
“Darn! Is this kid really a middle schooler?! What on earth did this shameless thing eat to grow so big—!”
“And this big round butt—! Ecchi!”
“T-that—!?” Nagi exclaimed, her face showing panic, completely at a loss.
Unexpectedly.
Despite being touched by someone else on her sensitive skin.
This time, Nagi felt nothing at all.
…..
“Yukihara-san, you’ve been a bit absent-minded today?”
On the beach, Ling, standing beside Mana and observing her all day, couldn’t help but ask.
“Oh, I’m sorry to worry you, Haibara-kun.” Mana retracted her gaze and apologized frankly.
Ling followed Mana’s line of sight.
There was Yukino and Nagi, while Kanade, who should have been there, was conspicuously absent.
“Were you worried about that guy Kanade? It’s fine… well, since Nagi is by his side, it is indeed a concern.”
“….. Yeah~” Mana responded to Ling’s words.
But what she was truly worried about wasn’t Kanade.
Rather, it was the man in a suit she saw on the luxurious cruise ship “Sea Dream.”
The island of Minase, for some unknown reason, did not have a branch of the special circle SEMA.
“Sea Dream” was still docked, seemingly waiting to leave after tonight’s Sea God Festival.
That man in the pitch-black suit was definitely still on this island.
Though she didn’t know what his intentions were.
It surely couldn’t be anything good.
So, where did that guy go?
….
….
The sun shone down on the streets of Minase Island, the scorching light penetrating every corner.
The air was filled with the heatwave of approaching summer, and the asphalt road by the roadside shimmered in the sunlight.
Both the island’s residents and the visiting tourists were dressed in thin summer attire, their faces covered in beads of sweat and expressions of despair over the heat.
In the midst of this sweltering weather.
A man in a well-tailored black suit looked utterly out of place.
His suit was crisp, his tie meticulously fastened, and even the collar of his shirt revealed shining cufflinks.
This man walked with a steady and composed pace, seemingly unaffected by the heat, with his face obscured in shadow, making it impossible to discern his features, only two bright red spots could be caught.
The black suit appeared even darker in the sunlight, in stark contrast with the colorful summer outfits around.
Even so, his presence felt as inconspicuous to passersby as air.
Nearby pedestrians hardly glanced in his direction, as if his existence was isolated by an invisible barrier.
Occasionally, a passerby would catch a glimpse of his form, yet it felt shrouded in a layer of blurry gauze, never truly acknowledging his presence.
The suited man was headed toward the “Haba Shrine,” the shrine on Minase Island.
Haba Shrine.
As the first shrine the protagonist interacts with in the original “Hoshi Hikiyoshi 1.”
It shares the same lineage as the “Shiraikami Shrine” in “Hoshi Hikiyoshi 2,” having a similar charm.
The deity enshrined here is a “white giant bird.”
Haba Shrine is located at the foot of the northwest hills of Minase Island, backed by lush green hills and facing the azure ocean.
A large vermillion torii gate stands at the entrance of the shrine, adorned with winged patterns carved on the beam, while the gateposts are etched with waves and raindrops.
Symbolizing the protection of the sea god and the power of the ocean.
Tonight is the Sea God Festival.
After the suited man arrived near the shrine, the crowd had noticeably increased.
What met his eyes were the island residents, working together to make final preparations for tonight’s Sea God Festival.
Under the large torii gate at the entrance, several villagers were hanging massive lanterns.
The lanterns were painted with patterns of a white giant bird, symbolizing the sea god, swaying gently in the breeze.
The suited man indifferently passed through the bustling crowd, stepping onto the flat stone steps.
The people on the island were gathered around the Haba Shrine as the center.
“If I could offer all the people here as sacrifices…”
The sun gradually dipped towards the west.
The crimson stars hung high in the sky.
At that same moment.
Kawano City was also enveloped in this red starlight.
Led by Osan, the hunters were slowly closing in and surrounding the residence of the Tenjouin family.
Fortunately, this time they didn’t encounter rainy weather.
